Frequently Asked Questions
Hopefully this page could be of great assistance to you in solving some of your computer problems, if not point you in the right direction for the appropriate help. If you have any hints to help people feel free to send them in for inclusion on this page using the contact form on the contacts page.
My PC is running slow?.
There are many reasons for Pc’s Running slow. Quite often it can
be that the hard drive is getting to full and to remove some unused
programs may speed it up a little. Another is that to many programs
are being initialised on start and running in the background using
valuable memory and processor resources.
It's always a good idea to de-fragment your hard drive using the
tools provided with Microsoft Windows.
I have an anti-virus program so how have I contracted a virus?.
Having anti virus programs is a very good step to stopping a virus,
but unfortunately it will not stop them all. There are numerous new
virus’s created every day, until they have infected a PC, then
acknowledged by an anti virus programmer, then a fix has been
created and installed via updates to your PC, then and only then
will your anti virus program stop them!
So a good lesson to learn is to update your anti virus program
regularly.
Why does my PC keep crashing?.
PC’s often crash because of program conflicts. Unfortunately a
pitfall of Microsoft Windows and its associated programs. But
sometimes it can be an overheating problem with memory, a graphics
card, or possibly your processor. It pays to have it checked out
ASAP as a fan failing on your processor can have drastic
consequences.
Why has my sound stopped working?.
Occasionally a setting can can be changed or effected by an installation of a program or a download, or possibly someone inadvertently changing some settings.
Try uninstalling any recently installed programs or changing back
any recently changed settings. Failing that it could be one of your
drivers needs re-installing.
Why does my monitor state, no signal or has no display?.
Initially check all monitor cables are securely affixed to the PC
and monitor. If you have a dedicated graphics card it may have
worked loose and then require repositioning inside the PC.
Why when I switch my PC on, it does nothing and displays no lights?.
Check the power cord is correctly plugged into the electric power socket and the power socket on your Pc. Check the fuse in your plug. Failing these being at fault it could be that your power supply has failed and needs replacing or possibly your power switch on the case is at fault.
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Why does my wireless internet connection keep disconnecting?.
Wireless Internet is very prone to interference, IE electrical items within the home, low signal output from your router or maybe the receiver. It can sometimes be beneficial to buy a booster Ariel to increase output/input signals.
Or you could possibly move your equipment to a different location
cutting down the interference
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How do I find out the size of my hard drive?.
Double click on the ‘My Computer‘ icon , then just move the arrow
over or single click the top of the ‘Local Disk C‘ there will appear
a box stating on the left hand side under the 'details' tab, Free
Space and Total Size. (Windows XP only)
My laptop doesn't charge up anymore?.
After checking the power supply is plugged in correctly and the fuse is ok, the plug on the end which plugs into the laptop should be checked for correct voltage output. If you are unsure how to do this pop it into our shop and we will check it for you.
If that is ok then its quite likely that the socket in the laptop
may be lose or broken. If so we can replace this also.
Why doesn't my game run on my PC?.
There are many cause’s for game’s not to run on computers.
One of the more consistent is that the graphics required to run them
is insufficient. This can usually be corrected by installing a
new graphics card. If a graphics cards required you will need to
check which sockets are available on your main board, for example,
PCI, PCI Express or AGP. (If unsure pop it into the shop for us to
check for you).
Always when purchasing games/software check the specifications on
the box, making sure your computer reaches’ at least the recommended
specifications not the minimum, as all the minimum means is it will
just about run but usually not very well.
Also the memory and processor are major factors in this problem. Memory is fairly easy to remedy by adding or replacing more into your Pc. To replace a processor is not quite as easy as more often you need to replace your motherboard as well, which can often mean quite a major upgrade to your system.
Another issue that has recently increased is the operating system
compatibly, when purchasing games make sure you have the correct
operating system installed on your PC. For example a game designed
for Windows XP will probably not run on Windows Vista, although it's
sometimes a good idea to check the games website before purchasing
as they sometimes release patches to make it compatible.
My disk drive will not read my CD?.
Firstly check the disk for dirt or scratch’s. If it is intermittent,
reading you could find that the laser inside is failing generally on
thin disks or often with mass produced or copied disks. It would in
this case pay to replace the CD-ROM.
How do I find out how much memory I have?.
Right click on the ‘My Computer‘ icon then click on the properties tab. Notice under the statement of computer it will state the amount of memory installed in your PC.
My windows just keeps looping at the startup?.
In many case’s this is caused by a recently installed or downloaded software which has caused conflicts within windows, possibly removing or sometimes corrupting the main system files.
You can sometimes cure this by entering safe mode then removing any recently installed software or possibly running system restore. If you cannot enter safe mode then reinstalling your operating system may be the only answer. Remember if you take this option you will require not only your operating system disk, but your drivers and all appropriate software.
It will also mean that all your file’s, pictures and software will be lost. If you would like us to do this for you in most case’s we can save your files and pictures and replace them on your freshly installed system.
My external hard drive doesn't show in windows no more?.
Firstly check the cable and plugs on the end of the cable appear ok. Has your hard drive recently had a knock or possibly dropped ? as this is the most common cause for this problem. A hard drive is quite easily broken due to careless handling.
It may also have lost the partition through damage and sometimes by re-partitioning and formatting it may cure the problem. (don’t forget this will erase everything from the drive).
We can often recover what appears to be lost data from drives just
pop it in for us to check it for you.
Films will not always play in my DVD-ROM drive?.
Apart from the obvious option that the DVD-ROM is broken, there are a few reasons for this. One being that the disks may be from another country then set within a different regional code. In this case you will require to change the regional code used by your player.
Not having the appropriate playing program is another likely hood. Probably the most common is that whatever program you use it will require some add ins commonly known as codec’s.
A lot of these can be source and downloaded from the Internet,
failing that bring your PC into us and we will assess and correct
the problem for you.
How do I find out what my CPU type is?.
click on the start button, then go to ‘Run‘ and in the type box type
in ‘Dxdiag‘ without the hyphens then press enter.
What size is my graphics card?.
Right click anywhere on a blank part of the desktop, then click on properties. Then click on the settings tab at the top. Then click on the advanced button at the bottom.
Then click on the Adapter tab at the top.
My laptop gets very hot, why?.
Its standard for most laptops to run quite hot but not to the point of crashing or to hot to touch. One cause is that over the course of time they can get clogged up with dirt and dust and in this case will need cleaning out. (We offer a full cleaning and service on Pc’s and Laptops).
Also the fan on the CPU may have stopped working and need replacing
or servicing. For general usage you can purchase a laptop cooling
base which sits on the base of your laptop, which has fans inside so
as to circulate the air around the bottom of the laptop.
Can I re-case my old tower?.
In most case’s yes. Nearly all case’s within the last five years have been built using the ATX (Advanced Technology Extended) standard, which means in English that you should be able to take everything from one case to another with very little effort.
You must remember where each cables goes, otherwise it could lead to disastrous consequences. Make sure to do your research FIRST!
Upgrade or new PC?.
In many cases it is far cheaper to upgrade what you already have than to replace it. We deal with people on a daily basis that have been wrongly advised to replace rather than upgrade.
If you are unsure pop your PC into the shop for us to assess your
needs and to what extent you need to go to with your PC. Very often
all you may need is a stick of memory or possibly a larger hard
drive to cure all your problems.
